According to data collected using the electronic medicine book (eMB), antibiotic use in 2020 reduced to 105 mg/PCU, compared with 110 mg/PCU in 2019 and 278 mg/PCU in 2015, AHDB says.
Article continues below
The data represents more than 95% of pigs slaughtered in the UK and continues the downward trend since recording started, although challenges with swine dysentery in 2019 and early 2020 temporarily halted progress.
The overall result is close to the target of 99 mg/PCU set by the UK pig industry, AHDB Sector Strategy Director for Pork Angela Christison said that in the context of a difficult year, achieving further reductions was a good result.
She said: “The industry understands how important responsible antibiotic use is and that is why there are tough targets and we work together towards them. The sector has delivered sustained reductions since recording began via eMB in 2015.
“This continued improvement, despite disruption to pig flow during the pandemic, is a credit to collaboration between producers, vets and the industry as a whole.”
Use of highest priority critically important antibiotics (HP-CIAs) remains at a very low level, although a slight increase from 0.04 mg/PCU to 0.05 mg/PCU has been recorded in 2020.
No colistin use has been reported in 2020.
HP-CIAs, as categorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), are the most important for human medical health and reductions in their use has been a focus for all UK farm animal sectors since stewardship efforts have stepped up.
Data is submitted to AHDB’s eMB, supported by a Red Tractor requirement for quarterly submission, before being analysed by AHDB and shared wider with the Pig Veterinary Society, National Pig Association, Pig Health and Welfare Council, RUMA, Veterinary Medicines Directorate and other stakeholders to generate a holistic view of antibiotic use in its sector.
The data allow industry to look at the more nuanced variations in individual antibiotic use to identify potential reductions. ■